Trump claims Putin ready to reach peace deal, Zelensky in the way
Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to reach a deal to end Russia's war against Ukraine, U.S. President Donald Trump told Reuters on Jan. 14, as progress toward a peace deal has stalled amid Moscow's maximalist demands.
"I think (Putin's) ready to make a deal. I think Ukraine is less ready to make a deal," Trump claimed, adding that President Volodymyr Zelensky is holding up the effort.
"We have to get President Zelensky to go along with it," he said.
When asked if the U.S. is open to providing security guarantees to Ukraine, Trump did not rule out the assurance.
"If we can get something done, we'd help. They're losing 30,000 soldiers a month between them and Russia. Now, Europe is going to help us with that," he said.
Trump and Zelensky met in Florida on Dec. 28, where the two leaders described the talks as productive.
Before meeting Trump, Zelensky, on Dec. 26, said that a 20-point peace plan is 90% complete, and he views the meeting with the U.S. leader as an opportunity to ensure that everything is 100% ready.
On Jan. 12, Zelensky said that he instructed Ukraine's negotiating team to finalize a security guarantees document with the U.S. and submit it for review "at the highest level."
"We have formulated our vision, and there must be clear feedback from Russia as to whether they are ready to end the war on realistic terms," he said.
Amid the efforts, a White House official told the Kyiv Independent that "over the past few weeks, (Trump's) team has made tremendous progress with respect to ending the war between Russia and Ukraine."
Ukraine has been open to major concessions, including holding off on NATO membership if strong security guarantees are in place and withdrawing troops from potential "free economic zones" amid the Kremlin's demand that Kyiv withdraw from eastern Ukraine's Donetsk Oblast.
"They are looking for a demilitarized zone or a free economic zone, meaning a format that could satisfy both sides. We consider a free economic zone a potential option," Zelensky told journalists on Dec. 23.
Meanwhile, Russia has continued to issue maximalist demands, and following Zelensky's Dec. 28 visit to the U.S., claimed that Ukraine attempted to attack Putin's residence with 91 drones. Following the allegation, the Kremlin said that it would toughen its negotiating position.
Trump initially reacted to the allegation, saying he was "very angry" after Putin personally told him over the phone. Trump later expressed skepticism after reviewing additional information.
The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) assessed that Ukraine did not target the residence, confirming Kyiv's immediate denial and undercutting Moscow's claim, U.S. officials told CNN on Jan. 1.
Russia has repeatedly refused to agree to a ceasefire despite international efforts to end hostilities and has instead intensified drone and missile attacks.
Moscow rejected a Christmas truce because it would give Ukraine a temporary respite, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Dec. 16, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Oct. 21 that Russia would not end hostilities without a "comprehensive peace agreement," arguing it would mean "forgetting the root causes of this conflict."
Overnight on Jan. 8-9, Russia pounded Ukraine with missiles and drones, killing at least four people and injuring 25 others in Kyiv, knocking out electricity for hundreds of thousands while disrupting heat supplies as temperatures fell.
Russia is "going all in" to destroy Ukraine's energy infrastructure after the second mass attack in less than a week, Deputy Energy Minister Mykola Kolisnyk said on Jan. 13.
The Kyiv suburbs of Bucha, Hostomel, and Irpin were reportedly left without power and running water following Russian strikes. Emergency power outages were also implemented in Kyiv and parts of Kyiv Oblast, Ukrenergo reported.
The year 2025 was the most fatal year for civilians in Ukraine since 2022, when Russia launched its full-scale invasion, the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) reported on Jan. 12.
